COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH:
Adam is currently undertaking collaborative academic work with Intellectual Property scholar Dr. Marie Hadley of the University of Newcastle in Australia, surrounding tattooing and copying norms. Their multisensory exhibition, Grey Lines, was exhibited at Watt Space Gallery, Newcastle, Australia from 17 September-1 November 2025. Their work has informed Arts Law Centre of Australia—the leading institute of Arts Law in Australia. Adam is also undertaking work with Psychology scholar Dr. Agata Vitale of Bath Spa University on a project surrounding the tattooist's experience of trauma-informed care in their practice. He has collaboratively produced and presented work on the intersection between Yogic philosophy, Jungian psychology, psychedelia, and practice-based research (2025), with literary scholar, PhD candidate and poet, Leonie Rowland. |
ABOUT:
Adam McDade is a freelance designer, illustrator, tattooist, yoga teacher, and early career academic. He is currently based in Manchester, and tattooing at 'Flesh'. His AHRC NPIF funded PhD research titled, 'Beyond the Epidermis', was carried out at The University of Sunderland, in partnership with Sunderland-based Triplesix Studios where he has worked as a tattooist from 2017–2021. The research is the first to utilise tattooing practice and autoethnography as a methodological approach, and provides ten knowledge contributions that may impact academic understanding of contemporary western tattooing across disciplines, while introducing tattooing into a creative industries discourse. It was described by examiners as “the most in-depth, detailed and considered first-person account of tattoo practice in the academic literature”. His work has been published in academic journals and edited volumes and specialist tattooing platforms. He has disseminated his findings at academic conferences and public lectures in the UK, USA, Vietnam and Indonesia, and tattooed across the UK, Portugal, Spain and Hong Kong. Adam's monograph, 'Contemporary Western Tattoo Practice' is due for publication in 2026 by Palgrave Macmillan. Adam has taught and lectured at Trafford College University Centre on the FDA Graphic Design and Illustration course and the BA (Hons) Contemporary Creative Practice course (2021–2022); RMIT VIetnam on the Bachelor of Design Studies programme in 2021; across all levels of the B.A. (Hons) Illustration and Design and MA Design courses at The University of Sunderland from 2013–2021; and has been employed as an associate lecturer on the Visual Culture undergraduate module at UWE Bristol in 2021. He has worked as a content editor in the fashion industry from 2015–2016, and published his writing in numerous contexts, including magazine articles and digital wellness platforms. His PhD thesis is available to download here. Adam is also a qualified yoga teacher and offers free, decolonial community classes in Manchester. He hopes to incorporate his yoga experience into his future research and practice and is currently undertaking a training in Trauma-Informed Yoga & Social Justice. He has published work on this theme in The Autoethnographer (2022, 2024) and Yoga Changemaker magazine (2025). He has produced collaborative research with academics across disciplines, and acted as a reviewer for authors publishing under Palgrave Macmillan and Routledge in areas of neurodiversity and creative research methodologies. QUALIFICATIONS: 50-Hour Trauma-Informed Yoga & Social Justice Certification (in progress), Ignite Institute for Yogic Leadership and Social Justice. 50-Hour Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training (2025), Ashtanga Cheshire. 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (2022), Nepal Yoga Academy. PhD Design (2017–2021), The University of Sunderland. MA Illustration and Design (2013–2014), The University of Sunderland: Distinction. BA (Hons) Illustration and Design (2010–2013), The University of Sunderland: 1st. |
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND PRESS:
My academic research has been presented /disseminated in the following contexts:
Yoga Changemaker Magazine, 'Contemporary Yoga Cliques: A Case for Compassion for Counterintuitive "Communities"', Summer, 2025. (Magazine Article).
London Arts Based Research Centre--'sur(REAL)ising Research: Ayahuasca, Synchronicities and the Surreal'—08/09/2025. (Conference presentation, collaboratively presented with Leonie Rowland)
The Council for Higher Education in Art & Design (CHEAD), ‘Tentacles Making Fists: Re-Imagining and Neuro-Futurising Leadership, with Dr Kai Syng Tan’, 2024. (Book Review).
The Autoethnographer, 'Spiritual Garnish: The Truth About Western Yoga Spaces', Volume 4(3), June 23, 2024.
Beneath the Skin Podcast, 'Navigating the Tension'—07/03/2024. (Podcast Guest).
Inky Thoughts Podcast, 'More than just tattooing—Adam McDade'—16/11/23. (Podcast Guest).
Dab Hand. Participatory Tattooing Workshop—Stockport Marketplace—27/08/2023. (Workshop Delivery).
Beneath the Skin Podcast, 'There's more to tattooing than just tattooing'—06/06/2023. (Podcast Guest).
Inked up, Marked Out — National Maritime Museum, London — 12/05/2023. (Conference presentation, Workshop Delivery).
The Autoethnographer, 'Tattoo Meanings: Love, Loss, & Autoethnographic Musings', Volume 4(2), September 21, 2022.
Palgrave Macmillan, 'Contemporary Western Tattooing as an Inherently Collaborative Practice: The Contingent Authorial Input and Operational Mode of the Tattooist' in 'Tattooed Bodies: Theorizing Body Inscription Across Disciplines and Cultures' 2022, pp. 43–65. (Book Chapter).
Rumah Sanur. 'There's more to tattooing than just tattooing: A practitioner perspective' (LOTS: Learn of Things and Sharing) — 18/01/2020. (Public Lecture, Bali).
Craft Research, 'The contemporary western tattooist as a multifaceted practitioner', Volume 10(2), 1 September 2019, pp. 261-275. (Academic Article).
6th International Conference of Autoethnography — Bristol Harbour — 22–23/07/2019. (Conference Presentation).
Tattoodo, 'Giving Form to the Intangible' — 17/07/2019. (Digital publication).
BBC Radio Newcastle with Lisa Shaw — 29/4/2019. (Media coverage).
Sunderland Echo, 'Meet the Tattoo Doctor' — 15/4/2019. (Media coverage).
The Northern Echo, 'University of Sunderland Student uses Tattooing to Explore Art and Design' — 15/4/2019. (Media Coverage).
Creative Lives Talk — University of Sunderland. 2/4/2019. (Public Lecture).
Saybrooke University PunchBowl Salon — Los Angeles — 7/2/2019. (Public Lecture).
Digital Humanities, Human Technologies — University of Salford—11/10/2018. (Conference Presentation).
Sunderland University Student Conference — 28/6/2018. (Conference Presentation).
My academic research has been presented /disseminated in the following contexts:
Yoga Changemaker Magazine, 'Contemporary Yoga Cliques: A Case for Compassion for Counterintuitive "Communities"', Summer, 2025. (Magazine Article).
London Arts Based Research Centre--'sur(REAL)ising Research: Ayahuasca, Synchronicities and the Surreal'—08/09/2025. (Conference presentation, collaboratively presented with Leonie Rowland)
The Council for Higher Education in Art & Design (CHEAD), ‘Tentacles Making Fists: Re-Imagining and Neuro-Futurising Leadership, with Dr Kai Syng Tan’, 2024. (Book Review).
The Autoethnographer, 'Spiritual Garnish: The Truth About Western Yoga Spaces', Volume 4(3), June 23, 2024.
Beneath the Skin Podcast, 'Navigating the Tension'—07/03/2024. (Podcast Guest).
Inky Thoughts Podcast, 'More than just tattooing—Adam McDade'—16/11/23. (Podcast Guest).
Dab Hand. Participatory Tattooing Workshop—Stockport Marketplace—27/08/2023. (Workshop Delivery).
Beneath the Skin Podcast, 'There's more to tattooing than just tattooing'—06/06/2023. (Podcast Guest).
Inked up, Marked Out — National Maritime Museum, London — 12/05/2023. (Conference presentation, Workshop Delivery).
The Autoethnographer, 'Tattoo Meanings: Love, Loss, & Autoethnographic Musings', Volume 4(2), September 21, 2022.
Palgrave Macmillan, 'Contemporary Western Tattooing as an Inherently Collaborative Practice: The Contingent Authorial Input and Operational Mode of the Tattooist' in 'Tattooed Bodies: Theorizing Body Inscription Across Disciplines and Cultures' 2022, pp. 43–65. (Book Chapter).
Rumah Sanur. 'There's more to tattooing than just tattooing: A practitioner perspective' (LOTS: Learn of Things and Sharing) — 18/01/2020. (Public Lecture, Bali).
Craft Research, 'The contemporary western tattooist as a multifaceted practitioner', Volume 10(2), 1 September 2019, pp. 261-275. (Academic Article).
6th International Conference of Autoethnography — Bristol Harbour — 22–23/07/2019. (Conference Presentation).
Tattoodo, 'Giving Form to the Intangible' — 17/07/2019. (Digital publication).
BBC Radio Newcastle with Lisa Shaw — 29/4/2019. (Media coverage).
Sunderland Echo, 'Meet the Tattoo Doctor' — 15/4/2019. (Media coverage).
The Northern Echo, 'University of Sunderland Student uses Tattooing to Explore Art and Design' — 15/4/2019. (Media Coverage).
Creative Lives Talk — University of Sunderland. 2/4/2019. (Public Lecture).
Saybrooke University PunchBowl Salon — Los Angeles — 7/2/2019. (Public Lecture).
Digital Humanities, Human Technologies — University of Salford—11/10/2018. (Conference Presentation).
Sunderland University Student Conference — 28/6/2018. (Conference Presentation).
